The Central government has amended the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 to formally bring AI-generated content within India’s regulatory ambit. The amendments, notified by the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) today, will come into effect from February 20. The amended rules, Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2026, introduce a definition of “synthetically generated information”, which covers audio, visual or audio-visual content that is modified or altered using computer resources in a manner that appears real or authentic and is likely to be perceived as indistinguishable from a natural person or real-world event. The changes place fresh responsibilities on social media platforms and online intermediaries that allow users to create or share such content. Platforms will now have to clearly label AI-generated content and ensure users can easily identify it as “synthetically generated”. Intermediaries that enable the creation or dissemination of such content would be required to ensure that it is clearly and prominently labelled as synthetically generated. The amendments substantially reduce enforcement and grievance redressal timelines under Rule 3 of the IT Rules. Compliance with lawful takedown directions has been shortened from 36 hours to 3… Read MoreInc42 Media
